🥬 Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Roasted Vegetables & Tomato-Wine Sauce

Tender cabbage leaves wrapped around a savory blend of ground meat, rice, and herbs, then baked over a colorful bed of roasted vegetables in a rich tomato-wine sauce.
This comforting, one-pan meal is hearty, wholesome, and packed with flavor—perfect for family dinners, meal prep, or impressing guests without spending hours in the kitchen.

🌟 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Comfort food with a gourmet twist.
• Juicy meat filling, fluffy rice, and soft cabbage on a bed of caramelized veggies.
• Tangy-sweet tomato sauce infused with smoky paprika and thyme.
• Perfect for cozy dinners, potlucks, or meal prep.

Perfect for:

• Cozy weeknight dinners
• Holiday meals and potlucks
• Freezer-friendly batch cooking
• Meal-prepping healthy lunches

🧄 Ingredients

For the Cabbage Rolls:

• 1 large head green or Savoy cabbage (10–12 leaves)
• 1 lb (450g) ground beef, turkey, pork, or plant-based crumbles
• 1 cup cooked rice (white, brown, or wild)
• 1 small onion, finely diced (~½ cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large egg (optional, for binding)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Tomato Sauce:

• 1 (15 oz / 425g) can crushed tomatoes
• ½ cup (120ml) tomato sauce or passata
• ¼ cup (60ml) chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce for vegetarian option)
• 1 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Vegetable Bed:

• 2 medium carrots, sliced into coins
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes, Italian herbs, salt & pepper

👩‍🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat Oven & Prep Pan: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or casserole.
2. Soften the Cabbage Leaves: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the whole cabbage (core-side down) in water. Boil 5–7 minutes, removing leaves as they soften. Set aside to cool.
3. Make the Filling: In a bowl, combine ground meat, cooked rice, onion, garlic, egg, paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix gently—don’t overwork.
4. Assemble the Rolls: Lay out a cabbage leaf, vein-side up. Spoon 2–3 tbsp of filling into the center. Fold sides inward and roll tightly from the base. Repeat with remaining leaves.
5. Prepare the Vegetable Bed: Toss carrots, zucchini, bell pepper, and onion with olive oil, salt, and herbs. Spread evenly in the baking dish.
6. Layer & Sauce: Arrange rolls seam-side down over vegetables. In a bowl, whisk crushed tomatoes, sauce, broth, Worcestershire, sugar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pour evenly over the rolls.
7. Bake Until Tender: Cover with foil and bake 45–50 minutes until vegetables are soft and rolls are cooked. Remove foil and bake 10–15 minutes more until sauce is bubbling.
8. Serve Warm: Rest 5 minutes before serving. Spoon rolls and vegetables onto plates and drizzle with extra sauce.

🍽️ Serving Ideas

• Serve with crusty bread or garlic toast
• Add a crisp green salad on the side
• Top with sour cream or feta cheese

💡 You Must Know

• Blanch cabbage carefully—too long = fragile leaves; too short = hard to roll.
• Use cooled rice to prevent mushy filling.
• Let rolls rest before serving for best texture.
• Flavors deepen beautifully the next day!
• Freezer-friendly—bake, cool, freeze, then re